Spending a frugal Valentine’ Day without being called a cheapskate

Spending a frugal Valentine’s Day without being called a cheapskate

It’s February and it’s needless to say that the most romantic day of the year is drawing near. If you’re low on cash and can’t imagine any creative ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without blowing a hole in your wallet, you need not fret! There are lots of inexpensive ways to have a romantic date with the person you love. Fancy flowers, expensive roses, gourmet chocolates, elaborate restaurants are always nice but it doesn’t always need to be expensive to be memorable. With Valentines Day, 2014 falling on a Friday night, it can be well predicted that more couples than ever will be celebrating. May be this is the reason behind the National Retail Federation predicting that the Americans will spend an average amount of $134 on cards, candy, gifts, dinner and more. If this is true, this would slightly be up from $130 in 2013. In a nutshell, total Valentine’s Day spending is expected to cross $18 billion.

With the approaching Valentine’s Day, you might be in a state of pinch to find a gift that your valentine will love. If you’re someone who likes to live frugally, it can be a tad bit of a challenge to find something that your valentine will love and that won’t drag down your monthly budget. The marketing industry will always force you into believing that you require spending a huge amount of money to keep your valentine satisfied but there are always alternative ways of celebrating this day within a budget. Here are some ideas that you may take into account if you’re struggling with deciding what to gift your valentine in 2014.

1. Plan a dinner and movie at home: When you’re on a tight budget, it’s time to flaunt your culinary skills. Cook some food that he is completely crazy about and share the delicious meal with your guy over a great film. As restaurants and movie tickets can get costly, this will be a rather intimate and simple way of spending Valentine’s Day. Do you feel like making something with ingredients that you don’t have? Rush to the discount market and grab them on a budget. Cover your dining table with a pretty tablecloth, light some candles to make the room look romantic and put on some relaxing music while dining. If planned properly, this can certainly be one of the fabulously frugal ways of spending Valentine’s Day.

2. Deck up for a photo session: How about choosing a romantic location and asking a friend with a DSLR to play the role of a photographer? Put on a gorgeous dress, apply dazzling makeup and get photo-ready. Don’t forget to make him wear something dressy and nice too. Carry some props that are relevant to your relationship like a stuffed toy which was perhaps gifted by him. Ask your friend to shoot some candid photos so that you have some variety of natural and posed photos. Try to take away some memories that you can smile at in the near future.

3. Choose a 12-pack for him: Usually, men don’t need anything glamorous on Valentine’s Day but they do appreciate something that’s thoughtful. Are you still looking for that cost-effective-yet-lovable gift for your man? If yes, consider putting together a 12-pack of beer for the love of your life. This can be a great Valentine’s gift option as it costs $25 less. If he loves beer and enjoys it time and again, it will give him some variety. You can take a step ahead by choosing some new beers that are similar in taste to the ones that he already likes. This will give him an opportunity to taste something new.

4. Go for a drive: Jump into your new car, play some songs that both of you love and drive to a place where there’s no one and where all you can see is the stars. If you don’t own a car, take a slow bike ride instead or walk hand in hand until you find some place to rest together. This can also be an adorable way of spending your Valentine’s Day without burning a hole in your wallet.

5. Create an assorted gift basket: Men come from Mars and hence they are practical people. They love things that they can use. You can take advantage of this habit of his and create a gift basket for this Valentine’s Day. Make a list of what your valentine likes and try to include most of them into this basket. The theme of the gift basket may vary from sports-related, gadgets for the tech-savvy Valentine or it may also contain some new tools for your DIY lover.

You don’t always need to jump on a jet and fly to Paris to enjoy your Valentine’s Day. If you’re a little bit determined, you can easily avoid the hefty costs that are associated with 14th February and make it memorable at the same time.